Look Me in the Eyes (and tell me that it's me) [Zhongchili]

Chapter 18 - Aftermath

All his plans have failed.

Rex Lapis is alive.

Tartaglia stands in Northland Bank. He fled here after the Qixing's forces on the Jade Chamber managed to fell Osial, without the help of their Archon.

(Good. Tartaglia's plan deserved to fail. Reckless. Foolish.)

He stumbled here, doubled over in pain, ready to rouse the Fatui to defend themselves against the inevitable backlash. An injured Harbinger and a building of people unprepared for a fight would have been no match against an entire city's military force, and he'd arrived here believing their lives were on the line, himself the cause of their imminent demise.

A fight for their lives, for the lives of the innocent recruits who had done no more than guard a vault or escort out an unruly customer.

But when he'd arrived, he'd found not the Millelith waiting for him with spears and swords.

Instead, he'd found Zhongli.

(Zhongli?)

Zhongli, who now stands beside him, holding the Geo Archon's Gnosis out to La Signora, the Eighth Harbinger and Tartaglia's least favourite colleague.

(It can't be...)

Zhongli is Rex Lapis.

Zhongli, the funeral parlour consultant, is Rex Lapis.

Zhongli, who spent the last months spending time with him, helping him, bedding him, is Rex Lapis.

How? How could Zhongli lead him on like this?

Signora he'd expect this from anyday. She revels in this sort of thing, pulling the rug out from underneath him when he least expects it. This isn't his first rendezvous with her games.

Zhongli though...

Of all the people, why did it have to be Zhongli?

(Tartaglia was right. Tartaglia's stupid gamble was right.)

(Rex Lapis never died at the Rite of Descension.)

(Rex Lapis has been with him all along.)

The Traveller is here too, who regards him with no less than utter disdain. Tartaglia tries to joke the situation off—anything to get rid of the jagged, gnarled root twisting through his chest—but it makes no difference. He knows the expression of hate all too well.

Oh well. At least he was able to get in a good round of combat against such a worthy opponent. Every cloud, silver lining and all that.

He opens his mouth to try and explain, but Signora talks right over him, as she always does, and he falls silent.

Bitch.

Meanwhile, Zhongli—Rex Lapis—hands her the Gnosis, the Gnosis Tartaglia was supposed to collect for Her Majesty, without so much as a backwards glance at him.

Traitor. The lying snake. Leading him on all those months. Zhongli tricked him. Zhongli did this. He's going to be humiliated in front of Her Majesty—by La Signora, no less—and it's all Zhongli's fault. Sure, he was using Zhongli for his knowledge, but he was open about being a part of the Fatui, which is close enough to being open about his intentions.

Zhongli, on the other hand...

How could Zhongli do this? Does he feel no remorse for his deception? None at all?

Tartaglia voices as such, but Signora cuts him off again.

Mega bitch.

Signora leaves and Tartaglia follows close behind.